


isn't it crazy that we are born only to die

by CanaryWarrior, freckledpianoman



Category: Stargirl (TV 2020)
Genre: Angst, Drama, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, nikki and i put our angst brains together and this was born
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-14
Updated: 2020-08-14
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:09:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25888627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CanaryWarrior/pseuds/CanaryWarrior, https://archiveofourown.org/users/freckledpianoman/pseuds/freckledpianoman
Summary: There’s a new villain in town, one who becomes obsessively in love with Beth. When he attacks the JSA, everything escalates into a life or death situation.Based on the scene from the finale where Jordan and Barbara are on the roof.
Relationships: Beth Chapel/Rick Tyler
Comments: 5
Kudos: 24





	isn't it crazy that we are born only to die

**Author's Note:**

> title from I Will Spend My Whole Life Loving You - Imaginary Future & Kina Grannis

Beth walked down the halls of Blue Valley High, intending on meeting her boyfriend at his locker so they can walk to the cafeteria together. She smiled at the thought of Rick. Beth did not expect to fall for Rick Harris/Tyler of all people, yet here they were, in a steady, happy relationship while being superheroes. Beth was lost in her thoughts that she didn’t realize someone was in front of her until it was too late.

“Oh!” Beth exclaimed, as two strong arms were wrapped around hers to keep her from falling. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t even notice you…”

The blonde boy who Beth had bumped into chuckled. “No worries, you looked like you were a million miles away.” 

Beth smiled. “Yeah, I guess I was. Hey, are you new here?”

“Yes, I am, I’m Andrew Mercer,” he introduced, removing his arms from Beth’s and holding his right hand out. He was mesmerized by Beth’s pretty face and bright smile.

“Beth Chapel,” Beth said, shaking the other boy’s hand, her smile still present on her face. 

“It is very nice to meet you, Beth,” Andrew smiled, a glint in his icy blue eyes.

“Wow, you have quite the grip,” Beth chuckled, observing the strong grip Andrew had.

Andrew immediately let go. “Sorry, I get told that a lot.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Beth waved off. “So how are you liking the school so far?”

“It’s going okay, but my day got a lot better when you bumped into me,” Andrew smiled, meaning every word. There was just something alluring about Beth, and Andrew wanted to get to know her more. 

Beth was surprised at how forward Andrew sounded, but brushed it off as him being nice. “That’s really sweet. Well, I’m glad I got to make your day a bit better.” 

Andrew grinned at the lovely girl in front of him. “Hey, if you don’t mind, can I get your number? It’s just that I don’t really know anyone else here and you are really nice.”

“Sure!” Beth replied, accepting Andrew’s phone and putting her number in. After returning it to him, she said “I really have to go now, but I’ll see you around!”

“Okay cool! I’ll text you!” Andrew said before watching Beth walk away with butterflies in his stomach.

~~

  
  
  


A few weeks later, Beth was sorting through her locker, trying to find her math notebook. She didn’t notice Andrew approaching her until he spoke.

“Hey, Beth!” Andrew greeted. When he saw Beth jump up in surprise, he quickly added “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Oh, no, it’s alright,” Beth smiled. “What’s up?” She turned back to her locker.

Andrew shrugged, admiring the shorter girl, who was oblivious to his obvious attraction. “Nothing much. You?”

Beth’s eyes brightened. “Oh, yeah! Rick and I celebrated our six month anniversary over the weekend!”

Andrew’s stomach churned at the mention of Rick. “Six months? Wow, congrats!” He put on a fake smile, when he felt the opposite on the inside. Damn Rick Harris, he didn’t deserve a beautiful, intelligent, sweet girl like Beth. Sometimes, Andrew wished he could punch that guy in the face. Of course, with his considerable strength, he would end up killing Rick, which would devastate Beth. 

“Hey, babe!” Rick greeted Beth with a kiss on the lips. He then turned to Andrew and greeted him with a nod. “Andrew.” Honestly, Rick didn’t like the guy, mainly because it was obvious Andrew was interested in Beth. Well, it was obvious to everyone except Beth, who thought that Andrew was just a nice guy.

The blonde nodded back. “Rick. Well, I should get going. I’ll see you,” Andrew smiled sweetly at Beth, who smiled back at him. With one last longing look, Andrew walked away, cursing Rick Harris in his mind.

Rick sighed after Andrew left. “You know he’s into you, right?” Rick asked, unable to keep it in much longer. Beth may not have seen the way Andrew looked at her, but Rick sure as hell did.

Beth laughed. “That’s ridiculous, Rick. Andrew doesn’t like me like that.”

“Yes he does,” Rick insisted gently. He hated the way Andrew looked at Beth, literally anyone could take one look at him and see that he’s totally into her. But deep down, Rick could understand why someone would fall for Beth, it was quite easy to. Still, that didn’t stop the pit in his stomach from forming every time he saw Andrew around Beth.

“No he doesn’t. And besides, even if he did, you know I only have eyes for you,” Beth smiled sweetly at her boyfriend.

Rick melted as soon as he saw that smile and knelt down to kiss his girlfriend on her forehead. “And I’m the luckiest person ever because of it.”

“Awww, you always surprise me when you say sweet things like that,” Beth cooed, blushing. She closed her locker and smiled at Rick. “Walk me to class?”

Rick wrapped his arm around her. “Always.”

Unbeknownst to the happy couple, they were being watched by Andrew, who glared at Rick’s back as he walked with Beth.

~~

  
  
  


Beth knelt next to Courtney, putting a hand on her forehead and gently getting her to lay back down on the ground. “Just hold tight, Court. It’s fine.” She breathed, looking to find Andrew throwing Yolanda off of his back, sending her skidding across the floor.

“ _ Shit. _ Okay Court, don’t move. Stay here.” She instructed the girl, who gazed up at the ceiling blankly, groaning. She’d hit her head pretty hard, Beth would be surprised if she didn’t have a concussion.

Beth watched as Rick attacked Andrew in a rage, and took the opportunity to rush over to Yolanda, who laid on the floor, barely moving. “Yolanda? Are you okay?” She watched her friend’s eyes flutter weakly as she groaned. 

Dammit, Yolanda must’ve hit her head, too. Her mask probably absorbed most of the damage, but as Beth watched Yolanda’s unfocused eyes, she could tell that she likely had a concussion as well. “It’s going to be okay, Yolanda,” Beth whispered comfortingly, trying to convince Yolanda and herself. 

She stood and turned to check on Rick, watching as him and Andrew traded hits. Andrew drew back as Rick threw a punch, rushing forward to tackle Rick as he stumbled. Beth glanced around quickly, looking for anything that could help them.

"Chuck? Any ideas right now would be great!" She said into the goggles frantically, watching Rick grab at Andrew's wrist and miss- she winced as she watched Andrew deliver a solid punch to Rick's jaw. Andrew stood over Rick, pausing for only a second then kicking his side.

Chuck only took a couple seconds to analyze the situation before replying, "He doesn't seem to be too interested in you."

Beth took a breath and nodded, rushing forward and sliding between Andrew and Rick, pushing Andrew away from Rick. " _ Move. _ " Andrew demanded, grabbing her arm to push her away gently.

"What's so special about me?" She asked, shoving him backwards. "Why my friends and not me?" She taunted, watching as he scoffed.

"Fucking  _ move,  _ Beth."

"Make me." She challenged. Rick groaned somewhere behind her, choking out her name. "It's okay, Rick. I'll be there in a second." She said over her shoulder, turning back to find Andrew's stormy gaze locked back onto Rick.

She squared her shoulders, staying firmly in between them. Finally, Andrew scoffed. "Fine." He jerked forward and grabbed her by the shoulder, throwing her out of the way. Before Beth could get back up, Andrew was back on Rick, grabbing him by the hair and lifting his head to make eye contact with him.

"I'd say I'm sorry it had to be this way, but that would be a lie." He taunted Rick, who gazed at him blankly, eyes a million miles away.

Beth shot up, scrambling to deliver a punch to the side of Andrew's head. She was never normally this physical in fights, but desperate times called for separate measures.

Andrew dropped Rick, groaning and clutching his head. Without really thinking about it, Beth rushed to kneel next to Rick, gently cupping the back of his neck. "Hey." She breathed, gently rubbing the pads of her finger behind his ear. "I'm gonna get you out of this, okay? It's gonna be fine." She reassured him.

He closed his eyes and nodded weakly, sighing as she played with his hair. She didn't hear Andrew stand up, but she felt it when he approached her from behind to tower over her.

"Time to go." He demanded, roughly grabbing her by the shoulder and yanking her into his arms.

~~

Rick's head spun- not in the way it did whenever he and Beth kissed, that was way less painful. Now it just felt like his brain was swishing back and forth in his head. The pain subsided just for a second when he saw Beth.

He'd have to give her the biggest hug later- her hugs were the best painkillers. Until then, he'd have to lay on the cold cement and take what he could get, soft words and gentle touches while they tried to get out of here.

He went to grab her hand and found it gone from where it had been- his eyes snapped open to see Andrew yank Beth backwards and grab her, holding her flush against him. Something burned in his chest and he moved to stand, not making it much farther than twitching on the floor.

The world seemed to pause as they waited to find out what Andrew might do- even he didn't seem to know. Finally, he moved, dragging both him and Beth towards the stairwell door.

"Get off me, asshole!" Beth yelled, squirming in his arms. Andrew groaned as she slammed the top of her head into his chin.

He spun Beth around and forced her towards the wall. "If you don't stop I'm gonna have to do something I'll regret later." Beth paused for a second, like she was considering the consequences.

Andrew took the opportunity to grab her again and start forcing her towards the stairwell. Beth fell forward, trying to scramble towards Rick, though Andrew caught her and jostled her back to a standing position.

As he got her closer to the door, Beth started whimpering- Rick's heart twisted as she called out for him. "Rick!" She cried out, her head being pulled towards Andrew forcefully.

Rick panted, trying again to get up. He could save her, he had to. As Andrew dragged her through the door frame, he heard her still calling for him.  _ I'm coming _ . He silently promised, shifting on the ground slightly.

He listened to the sound of her struggling with Andrew as they left his line of sight, holding onto the security of being able to hear her voice and know she was still alive, no matter how much her pained cries killed him.

He moved his arm, getting ready to prop it under him and stand up. He could do this, he could save her.

Outside the door, he heard Beth let out a heart wrenching scream of his name before all went quiet. His heart jumped and he opened his mouth, choking on her name. "Beth? Beth!" He heard no response, not even the sound of Andrew's footsteps.

He heard his pulse echoing in his head, his only coherent thought being  _ Save Beth _ . He couldn't hear her, couldn't see her. Andrew could be doing anything to her and he was laying there uselessly.

Rick had to get up. He had to move, and he had to save Beth from whatever Andrew could be doing to her. He took a few deep breaths and closed his eyes. He thought about how much he loved Beth. He loved everything about her: her smile, her optimism, her gentleness, her intelligence, everything. 

And he never told her that he loved her. What if he never got the chance?

No, that wasn’t going to happen, Rick wouldn’t let it. He was going to save Beth, kick Andrew’s ass, and tell her that he’s completely and hopelessly in love with her.

With that thought, Rick pushed himself off the ground and onto the feet. He ignored all the pain in his body. Beth was far more important than what he was feeling. Beth was more important to Rick than anything.

He was going to save her.

~~~~~

Beth squirmed against Andrew as he forced her up the stairs. He kept a tight grip on her wrist, no matter how much she struggled against him.

“Stop moving,” Andrew growled. “I have super strength, you can’t win. Not even your friends stood a chance. I even beat your boyfriend,” he mocked. He relished in each punch he landed on Rick. He only knocked the other two girls out, he didn’t have anything against them. But Rick? Oh how Andrew  _ hated _ him.

“Why are you doing this?” Beth continued to struggle against the taller boy. “Let me go!”

“Oh, I’ll never let you go, Beth,” Andrew smirked as they reached the top of the stairs. He kicked the door open and dragged Beth onto the roof of the building.

“Why are we on the roof?” Beth asked, attempting to keep her voice as steady as possible. She refused to show any weakness.

Andrew forced Beth near the edge of the roof before turning her around so they could look at each other face to face. “Because I had to get you away from that team of yours.”

“Why?”

“Because you won’t hear me out around them. Maybe you will up here,” Andrew explained, looking intensely into Beth’s eyes.

Oh god, this was Andrew’s plan all along. “You planned this, all of it. You lured us here, just to…” Beth trailed off, still in shock.

“Get you alone?” Andrew chuckled darkly. “That’s one of the reasons why I love you, Beth, you really are the cleverest person in this town.”

Beth’s eyes widened. Did Andrew just say that he  _ loved _ her? Not even Rick told her that he loved her, but Beth knew that he cared about her a lot. Andrew, on the other hand? “This isn’t love, Andrew,” Beth shook her head in disbelief.

Andrew yanked Beth closer. “I know how I feel, Beth. I love you.”

“You hurt my friends! You hurt my boyfriend!” Beth exclaimed, panic, anger, and fear coursing through her veins. She tried her best to ignore those feelings in an attempt to keep her composure. She wouldn’t let Andrew get to her.

Andrew’s expression darkened when he heard Beth refer to Rick as her boyfriend. “I did this all  _ because _ I love you! They were just standing in our way.”

“There is no  _ our way _ , Andrew!”

“Yes there is,” Andrew said desperately. He grabbed the back of Beth’s neck and forced her to look out into the town. He knelt down so his face was close to the crook of Beth’s neck. He said lowly into her ear, “There’s a whole world out there, Beth. Think about all we could do together. Come with me, and we can be together.”

Andrew was definitely unhinged, Beth decided. She hoped that Rick was okay, and that he would burst through those doors and save her. But he was completely out of it, Andrew really did a number on Rick. He could hardly move, which meant that Beth was on her own. “Be together? You hurt the people I love!” Beth exclaimed.

Andrew placed his hands on Beth’s arms. “Your friends will be okay!” He gazed into Beth’s eyes, as if it would urge her to choose him.

“Will Rick be okay? You were trying to kill him, Andrew!” Beth snapped, her worry for Rick being more powerful than anything else she felt.

Andrew sighed and removed one of his hands from Beth’s arms. He cupped her face and said earnestly, “You don’t need him, Beth. You deserve someone way better than him. And I can be that person for you! We can be together! We can change the  _ world _ together, Beth!”

Beth let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding and shook her head against Andrew’s palm. “You’re wrong. Rick is the best person I know. If anything, he’s the one who deserves better, not me. And I do want to change the world for the better, but I don’t need you to do it. We will  _ never _ be together, Andrew,” Beth said firmly, meaning every single word.

Andrew let out a pained gasp at Beth’s words, and removed his hands from her as he took a step back. That wasn’t the reaction he was expecting. Anger, sadness, and desperation coursed through his veins as he felt his heart break at Beth’s words. “You don’t mean that, Beth. Come with me, and give me a chance to prove-”

“You will never prove anything to me, Andrew,” Beth cut him off. “You’re a frickin’  _ psychopath _ .” Beth took a deep breath. It was now or never. “RICK!” She shouted from the top of her lungs, praying that he was still awake to hear her.

Andrew lunged forward and grabbed Beth’s arms, slightly shaking her. “Even now you’re still calling for him? You can do better, Beth.  _ We _ could be better. He’s not coming to save you, he never would have anyways.”

Beth shook her head. “No, you’re insane. You don’t know Rick like I do. I  _ love _ him.” That was the first time Beth had said those words out loud. And now, she might not even get the chance to tell Rick how she truly feels about him.

“NO YOU DON’T!” Andrew shouted, tightening his grip on Beth as he shook her.

Beth struggled against his claw-like grip. Damn super strength. “Yes I do. I will always love Rick.”

“You’re wrong!” The crazed blonde yelled, not releasing his grip on the superhero. “You don’t mean that. Think of everything we could accomplish together!”

Beth quickly blinked away the tears that formed in her eyes as a result from the intense pain in her arms. “You’re hurting me, Andrew,” she cried out.

As soon as the words escaped her lips, Rick walked through the already open door, blood dripping down his cut face. 

“Get away from her,” Rick growled, taking determined steps toward the two near the edge.

“How are you even standing right now?!” Andrew shouted angrily, keeping his grip on Beth. Dammit, he should’ve killed Rick when he had the chance. 

“Because nothing in this world will ever keep me from Beth, including psychopaths like you!” Rick exclaimed lowly, getting closer to them. Rick really wanted to throw Andrew over this roof and watch him fall, but he also just wanted to hold Beth in his arms for as long as he possibly could.

“Ow!” Beth cried out, unable to keep the pain in. At least Rick was here now, she knew he would come for her.

Rick’s blood boiled when he heard Beth’s cry of pain. How dare that bastard hurt her? How dare he even lay a hand on her? Rick was about to charge at Andrew, his injuries be damned, until the blonde quickly grabbed Beth from behind her neck, ignoring her cry of surprise, and forced her to look down below.

“Want me to let you go now?” Andrew questioned darkly.

“NO!” Rick shouted, stopping in his place. He didn’t want to risk Andrew throwing Beth off the roof because of him. Beth couldn’t die.

Andrew turned to Rick. “You don’t deserve her, Rick, you never did.”

“You’re right, I don’t deserve her, but neither do you,” Rick responded, anger clear in his voice. “Just leave her alone.”

“Why would I want to do that? I love her,” Andrew taunted Rick, knowing full well that he had all the power in their current predicament.

Rick shook his head in disbelief. This asshole actually believed he loved Beth? Maybe Andrew did, in his own twisted, obsessive way. But Rick loved her too, and he would fight to the death for her. “You think this is love? Dragging her up here, putting your hands on her, causing her pain? It’s not. And you know what? I love Beth too. I love her more than anything, and I sure as hell love her way more than you do.”

Beth, who was trying to stay calm as her head was forced over the roof, felt her heart stop. Did Rick just say that he loves her? Three times? “You what?” The question slipped out in surprise.

Hearing Beth’s response, Andrew forced her head more down, eliciting a shocked “Ah!” from Beth. 

Beth started breathing heavily, finally allowing the panic to creep through to the surface. She used to be scared of heights, but that fear went away because she knew that Rick would always be there to catch her. But not this time, Rick wouldn’t be able to catch her this time. If she fell, she would die. That was enough for her fear to come back.

“Beth!” Rick cried out. Without thinking, he took a step forward, holding out a hand.

"Rick, oh my God." She whimpered, her breathing picking up as she stared down the side of the building.

When she fell, she'd probably land on that sidewalk down there- maybe even on a car. She'd definitely die, there would be nothing to catch her or break her fall. It'd be quick, the worst part would be the actual falling. That didn't calm her down at all, actually.

She felt her mouth go dry as she stared down, ears ringing. Would these be the last moments of her life?

"It's going to be fine, Beth." Andrew murmured next to her ear, slowly pulling her back over the edge. 

As he eased her backwards, Beth let out a shaky breath, leaning away from him as far as she could. Her entire body pulsed, her heart skipping beats as she tried to regulate her breathing. Andrew squeezed her shoulder, his hand inching towards her neck- his other hand held her wrists together in a death grip that she was almost sure would bruise later.

She let her eyes flick to Rick, who stood stock-still and watched Andrew's every move with a fiery gaze. It almost looked reminiscent of the look Andrew had given her as she blocked him from getting to Rick downstairs-  _ no, Rick could never look at her like that. _

Andrew kept his grip on her shoulder, running his thumb up and down her neck in a way that made her stomach turn. She wondered for a second if he'd drop her if she threw up right here- she wasn't exactly willing to take her chances with that. 

“Andrew,” she breathed feeling his grip on her tighten uncomfortably. “We can still fix this, okay? You can stop this.” Her voice shook, faltering as she felt him tense behind her.

"You want me to stop this?" He growled. His grip suddenly tightened, jerking her forward again. "I could throw you over this edge right now, Beth- and there's nothing anyone could do to stop it."

She swallowed, trying to gather her thoughts. "You could. So do it, then- drop me."

Andrew stayed quiet, holding her there to listen to him breathe.

"You won't." She hissed. 

Andrew scoffed. "Why would I drop you? I could snap your neck. Smash your head against that wall over there," he gestured. "All in perfect detail for poor Rick."

He started ushering her forward, closer to Rick, but not close enough. She'd never be close enough as long as Andrew had his hands on her. His touch burned now, each brush of his finger sending a new wave of shock into her skin. They faced Rick, who merely looked like he was waiting for something to happen.

Beth didn't miss the glint of worry in his gaze when they made eye contact, but for all intents and purposes Rick looked unbothered. "Hey," she murmured, glancing up at him.

He didn't say anything, just sighed. She could already see bruises blooming on his jaw, and one squarely over his right eye. She'd have to force him to let her look at it later, probably.

Despite the normalcy of her thoughts, nausea still churned in her stomach and her vision still swam behind her eyes whenever Andrew moved. His strength held her squarely in place, no possibility of escaping.

Andrew scoffed, placing both hands on her shoulders. "I could kill you right now."

Finally, Rick spoke. "Then  _ do it _ . Christ, the suspense is killing me."

Andrew looked at Rick, his grip briefly loosening on Beth. Before she could think about it, she'd ripped her arms away from him and turned, shoving him towards the edge of the roof. 

Andrew stumbled backwards, his hips hitting the fence around the roof. Everything seemed to pause for a second as he leaned against the groaning metal bars. Then the fence snapped backwards.

Andrew grabbed at the air in front of him as his body tipped backwards, finding nothing to grab onto and continuing to tilt backwards. Fall backwards. They made eye contact right before his face disappeared over the edge- he wasn't scared, he was livid. 

Beth stood in shock, staring at the spot Andrew was. “Oh my god,” she whispered, rushing to the edge to see what became of Andrew.

Sure enough, Andrew’s unmoving body was on the concrete below. His leg was twisted in what looked like a painful direction, his arms were sprawled out, and blood was flowing from under him.

Andrew was dead. Beth killed him.

With that thought, Beth slowly backed away from the edge and turned to Rick, who stood in the same place. “He’s dead,” Beth breathed. “I killed him… Oh my god, I  _ killed _ him!”

“Beth,” Rick said softly, rushing up to her. “Are you okay?”

No, Beth wasn’t okay. A creepy, obsessive villain dragged her up here, professed his love for her, tried to kill her, and then she killed him. “Not really, but I’ll live.”

Rick’s heart ached as he looked at her. He didn’t know what Andrew did or said to her before he showed up on the roof, but he knew it couldn’t have been good. Then that sick bastard tried to kill her. God, Rick just wanted to wrap his arms around his girlfriend and stay like that for eternity.

He stepped forward and opened his arms, intending to give her a hug that would hopefully ease some of their respective pain. As he got closer, Beth flinched away from him, taking a step back.

Beth’s eyes widened at her sudden action. All she wanted was Rick to show up, and now that he was here, why was she so scared of him touching her? “I’m sorry… I don’t know what that was…”

Rick didn’t dare move a muscle. The last thing he wanted was to scare her. “It’s okay, Beth, it’s not your fault,” he said gently.

Damn Andrew, if he wasn’t dead, Rick probably would’ve finished him off himself. He had to watch as that son of a bitch grab Beth and drag her away while he was helpless on the floor. Then he had to watch him force Beth’s head over the roof, hold her tightly enough to leave bruises, and threaten to kill her. Andrew had super strength, of course Beth would flinch away from another guy with the same ability. Of course she would flinch away from  _ him. _

Meanwhile, Beth was trying to process everything. She couldn’t even handle being touched by her own boyfriend, and she was still wrapping her head around the fact that she killed someone. Her heart was still racing. She took a deep breath and said shakily, “We should go check on Court and Yolanda. I’m fine. Let’s just… find our friends and get out of here.”

Rick nodded. “Okay, whatever you want, Beth.” He stepped aside so she would feel comfortable walking toward the stairwell without worrying about him touching her. He made sure to stay a few steps behind her at all times, no matter how much his heart broke with each step.

“I’ll check on Court. Can you get Yolanda?” Beth asked quietly, kneeling down next to her blonde friend.

Rick nodded and went to Yolanda. She still seemed out of it, but was luckily able to stand up and walk. Courtney was able to do the same thing. 

Courtney and Yolanda will be able to heal. Rick’s injuries will heal in due time as well as Beth’s, but he knew that Beth wouldn’t be the same mentally and emotionally. 

~~ 

A couple of days later, the JSA were trying to return to normalcy. Yolanda and Courtney were doing well physically, and Rick’s cuts and bruises started to heal. Beth’s bruises from Andrew were also starting to heal, but she still couldn’t be near Rick without flinching away from him, and she hated it.

Rick was so patient with Beth, though. He respected her space, always checked in on her, and went the extra mile to make her feel as comfortable as she could. It made Beth love him even more. Speaking of love, she didn’t even tell Rick that she loved him too. Hell, they didn’t even talk about what happened that day. 

Beth was so lost in her thoughts, she didn’t even realize that Rick was in front of her until she bumped into him. She felt herself falling, only to be steadied by Rick’s gentle grasps. Beth jumped, and Rick immediately took a few steps back, guilt written all over his face, making Beth feel awful.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, Beth, I didn’t mean to-” Rick hurried to say. He felt an ache in his chest at Beth’s reaction. As his eyes wandered from her wrists to her neck, he felt his blood boil when he saw the bruises Andrew inflicted on her. He knew there were more on her arms and shoulders, but Beth’s clothes covered them up.

“No, no you saved me from falling… I’m sorry,” Beth apologized. God, why did she constantly flinch around her boyfriend? The guy she loved? Did Andrew really mess her up that badly?

“Beth, you have nothing to be sorry for,” Rick gently reminded her. He just wanted to hug her and whisper soft assurances that everything was going to be alright, but he couldn’t. Seeing Beth in so much pain killed him.

Beth nodded as if she was trying to convince herself that Rick was right. Her eyes flickered to Courtney and Yolanda, who entered the garage. With a sad smile at Rick, Beth walked toward her female friends, who she could be around without flinching. The two girls grew protective of Beth, and made sure that none of the guys at school touched her.

Rick gazed at Beth as she brightly greeted Courtney and Yolanda, glad that the two girls could help his girlfriend when he couldn’t. With one last look, he walked deeper into the garage to look at a car Pat asked him for help with.

Meanwhile, the trio of girls settled themselves on the couch.

“How are you feeling?” Beth asked her friends. “Any more headaches? Nausea?”

“Just a few headaches,” Courtney admitted.

“Me, too,” Yolanda piped up. “But the headaches aren’t too bad. How are you feeling?”

Beth sighed. “I bumped into Rick earlier and he saved me from falling. And then I practically jumped out of his arms.” She placed her face in her hands for a few moments. “He looked so guilty and sad…”

Courtney placed an arm around Beth. “You experienced something traumatic, Beth. Rick understands that. He feels guilty that he couldn’t help you that day on the roof. Hell, we,” she gestured between herself and Yolanda, “feel guilty for not being able to help you.”

“The three of you were injured, it’s not your fault,” Beth noted quietly.

Yolanda hesitated. “Did you talk about what happened with anyone?”

Beth shook her head. All she told them was that Andrew dragged her up to the roof, said some crazy things, and kept grabbing her, not letting her go. She knew that Yolanda made a good point, maybe she would feel better if she talked about it.

“He dragged me to the roof. He said that he loved me and wanted me to leave with him. He said that I deserved better than Rick and got so angry when I told him that…” Beth took a deep breath. “That I loved Rick. I called him a psychopath. He grabbed me and shook me. When Rick came, Andrew grabbed the back of my neck and forced me over the edge. I thought I was going to die. He was furious when Rick came… He managed to distract Andrew and I pushed him off that roof.”

Yolanda and Courtney had tears in their eyes after they heard what their friend had been through. 

“We’re so sorry, Beth,” Yolanda softly grabbed Beth’s hand. “You never should’ve gone through that.”

“Rick wanted to hug me. And I wanted to hug him but I flinched away when he came close…” Beth wiped a tear away. “What if I keep doing that? What if I can’t stop jumping away from him?”

“Beth, these things take time,” Courtney said. “You have to heal at your own pace. And I know that Rick will be there for you in any way he can.”

Beth let out a deep breath, and felt a small weight lift from her shoulders. Talking about it with her friends did make her feel a bit better. And it made her feel ready to talk to Rick. She blinked as more tears fell down her face. 

“I need Rick,” Beth said shakily.

“Okay, we’ll go get him and give you some privacy,” Yolanda said, squeezing her hand gently before getting up from the couch with Courtney to find Rick.

About two minutes later, Rick walked up to the couch. He saw the tears on Beth’s face and instantly turned concerned. “Are you okay? What’s wrong? Are you in pain?”

“No, I just need to talk to you,” Beth said. “Can you sit?”

“Are you sure?” Rick asked cautiously, wanting to make sure Beth was comfortable with him being in close proximity.

Beth nodded. “I’m sure.” She patted the seat next to her and watched as her boyfriend hesitantly dropped onto the couch. Beth didn’t flinch away, which was a good sign.

“What’s wrong?” Rick fought off the urge to wipe her tears away. Even with her eyeliner and mascara running under her eyes, she still looked beautiful.

“When Andrew dragged me away from you and onto the roof, he said that he loved me. It was the first time anyone, guy or girl, told me that they loved me. And I have to live with that memory for the rest of my life. And he said it as he tightly held my arm and my wrist…”

Rick’s heart shattered as he listened to Beth’s words. He hated Andrew Mercer, how dare he do that to her. “Beth…”

“No, I need you to listen to this. I need to say it and I have to get it out if I want to move on.” Beth took a breath before continuing. “He wanted to leave with me. He said that I deserved better than you. You know what I told him? I said that you are the best person I know and you are the one who deserves better. And you do, Rick, you really do. I called him a psychopath and then I screamed your name. He got so angry and tried to convince me that you wouldn’t come and save me. When I told him that I love you, he got angrier. He grabbed me and shook me and then you showed up. And you know what happened from there.”

"You didn't have to say that, Beth. All that stuff up on the roof, I mean- you could've gotten hurt. You could've gotten  _ killed. _ "

"No, I did have to say it. 'Cause I meant it, and if I had died up there at least I would've said it." 

"But you didn't die." He nodded softly. "So what does that mean for all of what you said?"

"It's still true, obviously. And, I mean, you technically said it back, which I'm assuming you meant?" She asked, laughing softly to try and keep it light hearted.

"More than anything." He murmured. This felt weird- if this was any other situation she'd probably be all over him right now. She'd admit that she loved giving Rick lots of hugs and kisses and whispering sweet nothings in his ears, but everything had changed since Andrew.

His touches were still ingrained into her skin, they held her down at night when she dreamed of running to Rick, pushed her back towards that edge and taunted her. When she was half awake she could almost feel him prodding at her, grabbing her,  _ hurting her. _

She wanted nothing more than to let herself fall into Rick. She could trust him and she knew it, but it'd recently been like her body didn't get the memo.

Her wrists and shoulders were still bruised even a few days afterwards. Moving hurt, thinking about it hurt worse. She missed Rick on top of everything.

"I love you." She breathed.

"I love  _ you."  _ He smiled, face turning slightly red- that always made her feel good, even now her heart fluttered. "And I'm here for you, Beth. Whenever you want me, I'm not going anywhere."

She felt tears burn at the back of her eyes and before she could really think about it, threw her arms around him in a hug. He tensed uncertainly, leaving her enough room to back out.

It all seemed to click into place, then. Where Andrew's touch had been demanding and burned her skin, Rick's warmed her ever so slightly and was gentle. She sighed and tightened her hold on him, pressing her face into his chest. She gripped the back of his shirt in her fists and he slowly closed his arms around her back, rocking them back and forth.

She pulled back to wipe her eyes and scoot forward, moving her arms to rest over his shoulders and pull him close. She nuzzled into the crook of his neck and sighed, letting a few stray tears slip. "I'm sorry." She murmured next to his ear.

"You don't have anything to be sorry for." He reminded her, rubbing a hand up and down her back. "I've got you."

“You always do,” Beth said into his neck.

They stayed in that position, making up for lost time. Rick whispered sweet nothings to the love of his life, while Beth relished in the warmth of his safe, gentle embrace.

**Author's Note:**

> hope you enjoyed! if so, please leave comments and kudos, they encourage us to post more!  
> [my tumblr](https://freckledpianoman.tumblr.com/)!  
> [nikki's tumblr](https://canary-warrior.tumblr.com/)!  
> [black lives matter](https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/)


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